The Times Higher Education Rankings of the Best Universities in the USA include a variety of universities, among which there are 181 best universities and colleges in the world. Wherever you want to study in the United States, the best university is not far away: almost all states and about 130 cities are on the list of the best American universities.
Higher education institutions at the top of the ranking are focused on popular areas of study; the top five are based in California and Massachusetts.

Prestigious American universities offer quality undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, internship, and graduate programs. Prestigious private universities in the United States allow you to get useful contacts in the chosen professional field, but the cost of studying is high, and the competition for admission is very high.
Public universities are cheaper, but this does not mean that the quality of education will always be lower, although they do not provide a selective environment.
Foreign students enter leading American universities after providing a certificate of 12-year secondary education, undergo special studying Advanced Placement, Pathway or International Foundation programs, and take the TOEFL test, which confirms knowledge of English.
Times Higher Education's best universities in USA 2025
US rank 2024 | World University Rank 2024 | World University Rank 2023 | University | City | State |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | =3 | Stanford | California | |
2 | 3 | 5 | Cambridge | Massachusetts | |
3 | 4 | 2 | Cambridge | Massachusetts | |
4 | 6 | 7 | Princeton | New Jersey | |
5 | 7 | 6 | Pasadena | California | |
6 | 9 | 8 | Berkeley | California | |
7 | 10 | 9 | New Haven | Connecticut | |
8 | 13 | 13 | Chicago | Illinois | |
9 | 15 | 15 | Baltimore | Maryland | |
10 | 16 | 14 | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | |
11 | 17 | =11 | Columbia University | New York City | New York |
12 | 18 | 21 | Los Angeles | California | |
13 | 20 | 20 | Ithaca | New York | |
14 | 23 | 23 | Ann Arbor | Michigan | |
15 | 24 | 28 | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | |
16 | 25 | =26 | Seattle | Washington | |
17 | 26 | 25 | Durham | North Carolina | |
18 | 27 | 24 | New York City | New York | |
19 | 28 | =26 | Evanston | Illinois | |
20 | 34 | 32 | University of California, San Diego (UCSD) | San Diego | California |
21 | 36 | 38 | Atlanta | Georgia | |
22 | 42 | 48 | Champaign | Illinois | |
23 | 52 | 50 | Austin | Texas | |
24 | 59 | 63 | Davis | California | |
25 | 63 | 81 | Madison | Wisconsin | |
26 | =64 | 61 | Providence | Rhode Island | |
27 | 68 | 57 | St Louis | Missouri | |
28 | 69 | 64 | Santa Barbara | California | |
29 | 72 | 69 | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | |
30 | 74 | 65 | Los Angeles | California | |
31 | 78 | =71 | Boston | Massachusetts | |
32 | 85 | =101 | Minneapolis | Minnesota | |
33 | 86 | 127 | West Lafayette | Indiana | |
=34 | =92 | =95 | Irvine | California | |
=34 | =92 | 98 | Nashville | Tennessee | |
36 | =99 | 112 | Columbus | Ohio | |
37 | =106 | =82 | Atlanta | Georgia | |
38 | 114 | =104 | College Park | Maryland | |
39 | =116 | 106 | East Lansing | Michigan | |
40 | 118 | 181 | College Station | Texas | |
41 | =119 | 147 | Houston | Texas | |
42 | 122 | =151 | State College | Pennsylvania | |
43 | =123 | 191 | University of Massachusetts | Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, Worcester | Massachusetts |
44 | 132 | =151 | Gainesville | Florida | |
45 | 133 | 154 | Rochester | New York | |
46 | =138 | =148 | Boulder | Colorado | |
47 | =145 | 144 | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | |
48 | =155 | 180 | University of Arizona | Tucson | Arizona |
49 | =161 | 123 | Hanover | New Hampshire | |
50 | =164 | 134 | Cleveland | Ohio |